RIO DE JANEIRO – The Brazilian Foreign Ministry threatened to make visas mandatory for all Britons if Britain re-slaps visa requirements on Brazilians.
The warning came one day after British authorities said they were studying the possibility of suspending visa-free-access agreements with 11 countries in Asia, Africa, South America and the Caribbean.
British authorities have given a six-month ultimatum to the countries to find a way to stop illegal immigration. The 11 countries are Brazil, Bolivia, Malaysia, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mauritius.
While admitting some isolated cases of negligence in immigration, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry threatened to use the principle of reciprocity if Britain insisted on banning free access to tourists from Brazil.
Brazil is one of the major source of illegal immigrants to Britain, with 11,300 Brazilians repatriated from Britain in 2006.
xinhuanet.com
